PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Little East Conference (LEC) Commissioner Pamela S. Samuelson announced that the University of New England will join the league as an associate member for men's and women's ice hockey beginning in the 2025-26 season. The addition of the Pilgrims will allow the LEC to begin sponsoring women's ice hockey as a championship sport starting in the 2025-26 school year.
“On behalf of the LEC President and Director of Competition, I am very pleased to welcome the University of New England as an Associate Member of Men's and Women's Ice Hockey, and am excited to begin sponsoring both sports starting in 2025. 26 plus them,” Samuelson said. “The NEC program further strengthens what we believe will be a competitive sport in our conference.”
“The University of New England and its men's and women's ice hockey programs take great pride in their rich history of competing at the highest level,” said NEC Director of Athletics Dave Duqueux. This conference affiliation allows us to continue to compete against traditional New England Area League opponents and build intrastate competition. Hockey here at Henniker will continue to be played at a high level against tournament-level teams with the stability of the LEC. ”
Samuelson announced that the Little East Conference will begin sponsoring men's ice hockey in July 2023, following the addition of varsity men's and women's ice hockey programs at Keene State University. The Owls and Pilgrims will join the men's and women's ice hockey programs of LEC core members UW-Boston, Plymouth State University, University of Southern Maine and UT-Castleton, as well as the men's program of UW-Dartmouth.
Per NCAA Division III rules, LEC women's ice hockey will begin with fewer than six sponsored core members and therefore automatically receive eligibility status starting in 2027-28. The LEC will have at least six core members sponsoring the sport and will receive automatic eligibility for the NCAA Division III Men's Ice Hockey Championship in 2025-2026.
The addition of men's and women's ice hockey is the second expansion of sports by the LEC in recent years, following the addition of men's golf and men's swimming and diving in 2021-22.
About Little East Conference
The Little East Conference (LEC) was founded in 1986 when six public institutions came together to create a single athletics conference and is now New England's premier NCAA Division III public institution. It has expanded to include competitive conferences. The LEC will soon feature 23 championship sports and sponsor high-quality competition for student-athletes while following Division III's mission of “Passion, Responsibility, Sportsmanship and Citizenship.”
The Little East is comprised of nine major institutions covering all six New England states. Eastern Connecticut State University, Keene State University (NH), Boston, MA, Dartmouth College, MA, Plymouth State University (NH), Rhode Island College, University of Southern Maine, Castleton University of Vermont and Western Connecticut State University.
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